Habitat Management

The most critical aspect of wildlife conservation is habitat management. Habitat loss presents the greatest threat to wildlife.

Five essential elements must be present to provide a viable habitat.

Food and water are necessary to all wildlife.

Cover is not only needed as shelter from the elements and predators, but it is also necessary to protect animals while they are feeding, breeding, roosting, nesting, and traveling.

Space is necessary to avoid over-competition for food. Some animals also need a certain amount of territorial space for mating and nesting.

Arrangement refers to the placement of food, water, cover, and space in a habitat. The ideal arrangement allows animals to meet all of their needs in a small area so that they minimize the energy they use.

For example, quail will spend much of their time where shrub and grassland areas converge. This is called edge effect. Most animals can be found where food and cover meet, particularly near a water source. River bottoms are ideal, offering many animals all their habitat needs along one corridor.

Another way to measure the health of a habitat is biodiversity, which is the number and variety of plant and animal species in an area.